Android TV Box Recommendations

[xiaofan]

I have updated Post #1 to add the following notes.
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Notes added on 10-Oct-2026

1. Prices of Certified Android Boxes are in general increased.

Price of Mi Box S Gen 3 and Mi TV Stick 4K Gen 2 have gone up by quite a bit but others also go up. So they are still okay to buy. You may also find cheaper 2nd units of Mi Box Gen 3, Mi TV Stick 4K Gen 2 and Mi Box Gen 2 as well.

Google’s US$99 4K TV Streamer is now at U$149.

Nvidia has raised the price of Shield TV Pro from US$199 to US$299 and discontinued the standard cylindrical Shield TV.

mecool TV boxes also have price increases and the online stores show sold-out for the models listed.
https://www.mecool.com/
MECOOL MEon1 4K GTV Streaming Box, Sale price at US$139.99
MECOOL KM2 PLUS TV Box, Sale price at US$150.99
MECOOL KM7 PLUS TV Box, Sale price at uS$125.99
MECOOL MEgo1 4K Google TV Stick, Sale price at US$150.99

2. Walmart onn 4K TV boxes may be worth buying if you are okay to buy from US.
https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/onn-tv-box

US$59.98, onn 4K Pro Streaming Device, Google TV with Gemini (NEW 2026 Model) - Ultra-fast Streaming, Stunning 4K UHD, 32GB Storage, 3GB RAM, Dolby Vision & Atmos, Find My Remote with Backlight, Ethernet Port

US$49.98, onn 4K Plus Streaming Device, Google TV - Ultra-fast Streaming, Stunning 4K UHD, 16GB Storage, 2GB RAM, Dolby Vision & Atmos, Remote with Voice Control - U.S. Compatible only

US$39.98, onn 4K Streaming Device, Google TV with Gemini (NEW 2026 Model) - Fast Streaming, Ultra HD, 8GB Storage, 2GB RAM, Remote With Voice Control - U.S. Compatible only

US$29.98, no point buying, onn Full HD Streaming Device, Google TV - Fast Streaming, 8GB Storage, 1.5GB RAM, Remote with Voice Control.

2. Amazon newer FireTV Stick 4K Select 2025 and newer models like FireTV Stick 4K 2026 and FireTV Stick HD 2026 are not worth buying as they change from Fire OS (Android based) to Amazon's own Vega OS.

Reference: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select, Review: a disaster with Vega OS
https://androidpctv.com/amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-select-review/

3. There may be other certified Google TV devices as well.

4. Those with a decent TV running Android TV OS or Google TV platform may not need an Android TV box.

5. Apple TV is always a good alternative. Now the latest model is still Apple TV 4K 3rd Gen released in 2022.

But with the recent price increase, it may not be worth buying now.

https://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/lifestyle/video/do-not-buy-apple-tv-4k-now
(HWZ Article, 2 Jul 2026)
When it was announced in October 2022, it had a starting launch price of S$199. This got you an Apple TV 4K with Wi-Fi connectivity and 64GB of onboard storage. For S$239, you could get a model with Ethernet connectivity and 128GB of storage.

Today, that same 64GB model costs S$299. And if you need Ethernet connectivity, prepare to cough up S$379. That’s an increase of around 50% and 58%, respectively. And as good as the Apple TV 4K is, I’m afraid they don’t represent great value at these prices, especially when much more affordable alternatives exist.

6. If your apps are included in your Samsung TV, then it is also okay. If not, you may still need an Android TV Box.

7. LG TV is ususally not that smart and may still need an Android TV box.

 

[Ceschfab]

I read online that ONN 4k is designed to only work in US.
Kinda means need some vpn thingy to set this up in US before we can use it?

 

[xiaofan]

I read online that ONN 4k is designed to only work in US.
Kinda means need some vpn thingy to set this up in US before we can use it?

Ahh, you have a good point. I have changed the note.



Walmart’s ONN streaming devices just got a major new restriction — and this could be bad news if you’re using or planning to buy an ONN device outside of a supported region.

ONN streaming devices have already been checking your internet connection during setup to determine whether you're located in a supported region such as the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico. In the past, some users reported being able to complete setup while connected through a VPN.

Now, that appears to be changing.

Users are reporting a new warning that specifically says “Unsupported region or VPN detected,” suggesting ONN devices can now detect and block some VPN connections during the initial setup process.

In this video, we’ll discuss what changed, why Walmart may be tightening these restrictions, what this means for people importing ONN devices into other countries, and why existing ONN owners may want to think twice before performing a factory reset.

We’ll also talk about what this could mean for the 2026 ONN 4K Pro, ONN 4K Streaming Stick, and other ONN Google TV devices going forward.